‘Charge sheet’ plot to nail Najib

Rahman Dahlan speculates on why Najib had to 'take out' people and stop special task force.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional spokesman Abdul Rahman Dahlan has speculated on a possible plot to use criminal charges against prime minister Najib Razak to force him out of office, and said it explained Najib’s “flurry of action” in reshuffling the Cabinet, dismissing the Attorney-General and moving four MPs into the Cabinet.

Although he was “not privy” to information about any plot and possible use of a purported draft charge sheet publicised by Sarawak Report, he said in a special press interview that “it sure looked like it”.

Rahman’s comments came when speaking to TheStar Online in an extensive interview published today in which he was asked about investigations into the government investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd, the dismissal of the Attorney-General last month, and the three-month suspension of The Edge and its companion Financial Daily.

Asked if there was an attempt from within the special task force to “criminalise the prime minister”, Rahman said he did not know, and that it was the new Attorney-General, Mohamed Apandi Ali, who had used those words.

However, Rahman said the special task force was “illegally constituted” and “was not supposed to be investigating the prime minister or any individual”. He also appeared to hint that the special task force was the idea of the Inspector-General of Police (Khalid Abu Bakar).

He said the special task force did not have a mandate from the Cabinet.

The special task force, comprising officers of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, and Bank Negara Malaysia, was formed after news reports about US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) in funds said to be linked to 1MDB being deposited in private bank accounts held in Najib Razak’s name.

“The special task was something the IGP wanted, I suppose,” he said in response to a question about whether investigations were continuing after the removal of the Attorney-General, Gani Patail, and the elevation of four MPs of the Public Accounts Committee to the Cabinet, effectively resulting in suspension of PAC hearings into 1MDB.

Rahman was asked about police investigations into leaks of information from the task force and the sudden transfer of two MACC officers, since rescinded.

Rahman explained the purge as a response to fears of a possible plot to use the draft charge sheet against Najib.

“I leave it to the PM and the AG who made that comment and also to the IGP whether or not there is an attempt to criminalise the PM. But it sure looked like it,” he said.

The transfers of the MACC officers came against the backdrop of those fears, he said. “These are very dynamic situations so God forbid if that draft charge sheet was actually served – can you imagine what would happen?”

Rahman would not commit himself to whether the leaked draft charge sheet was real. “I don’t know. I just look at Tan Sri Apandi‘s statement.”

He said Najib’s actions, as a politician, were to pre-empt any move against him.

Apandi had said the charge sheet was not in the system at the Attorney-General’s office “so that is suggesting that it was done outside the system and outside the normal process”.

“If you could appreciate that scenario then you would understand the flurry of action taken by the PM,” he said. “You would take drastic action, wouldn’t you? Okay take these people out first so that things will get back to normal and see what will happen next.”

Rahman said he had not information about whether what Apandi said was true or not. Apandi said the charge sheet was false and that the investigation into a former 1MDB subsidiary implicated in the money transfer was not even completed. “When I say false it means that it did not go through the proper channel of charging an individual.”

He appeared to suggest that there was a charge sheet but it had been prepared without going through proper procedures, and without sufficient evidence. “You need to complete your investigation and if you feel the evidence is strong enough then you charge someone,” he said.